


Crush

by rent_a_gundam, rubyofkukundu



Series: Rent-a-Gundam [49]
Category: Gundam & Related Fandoms, Gundam 00
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, First Kiss, Humor, Parenthood, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-27
Updated: 2010-03-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 03:04:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/657350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rent_a_gundam/pseuds/rent_a_gundam, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubyofkukundu/pseuds/rubyofkukundu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anew doesn't tell anyone, but she has a crush on Lyle Dylandy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crush

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the sprawling Rent-a-Gundam series: a university/rent-boy!AU that was co-written by Veda, Auto, Orange and Typo.
> 
> Only a portion of the RAG fics have been posted on AO3. For all other fics in the series, check out the Rent-a-Gundam journal: <http://rent-a-gundam.livejournal.com>
> 
> ***
> 
> This particular story was written by Veda (rubyofkukundu).
> 
> Originally posted here: <http://rent-a-gundam.livejournal.com/74896.html>

Anew doesn't tell anyone, but she has a crush on Lyle Dylandy.  
  
There are two reasons why she keeps this to herself. The first is that she can just imagine what her Dad would be like if he found out, and she'd rather not have to put any of them through _that_. The second is because it's _Lyle Dylandy_. He's in a happy relationship with a husband and a young daughter, so why on earth would he be interested in a silly little 14 year-old girl like Anew?  
  
He wouldn't; is the long and short of it.  
  
And that's why Anew doesn't tell anyone, but the impossibility of it all doesn't make Anew's crush weaken any.  
  
She can't help it. It's something about the way he smiles, the way he laughs. Something about the way his eyes light up when he's talking.  
  
It's true that Neil Dylandy looks very similar, but it's not the same. Anew's never felt that way about Neil. After all, Neil is _Revive's Dad_.  
  
Besides, Lyle is different. He's more flippant. He's more fun. He's more attractive.  
  
Anew wonders what it would be like to kiss him. If he'd be gentle (he would), if he'd be kind (he would), if it's all a fantasy that will never come true (it is).  
  
Anew harbours her secret crush for a long while. Relishing the happiness she feels just from visiting Revive and finding out that Lyle is visiting too, from listening to Lyle talk and helping him cook.  
  
Nothing comes from it, of course. Anew doesn't dare do anything. But then something happens. It's not an instant thing, but something that seems to dawn on her, over a period of time.  
  
Anew's getting older now. More of a young lady than a child. But she still visits Revive often; partly to spend time with Devine, and partly to hope that Lyle's going to be there too.  
  
Devine's growing up too. Four years ago, she doted on Anew like Anew was the best person in the world, following her around the house and wanting to play games together nonstop. Anew went along with it easily, because it was really kinda cute and Devine is fun with all her boundless energy. Bring tagged along too, of course. There wasn't anything that Devine and Bring wouldn't do together then. So the three of them would play, with Revive off doing his own thing and refusing to join in more often than not.  
  
But that was four years ago. Devine, at 14 years old, still looks up to Anew, but she's less clingy now. Bring, too, is slowly learning to do things without his sister. So Anew finds that as time goes on, she gets more time to herself when she visits the Dylandy household; more time to sit, and daydream about all the things that would happen if Lyle returned her feelings.  
  
On the days when Lyle isn't there, Anew finds that Neil makes a fairly decent substitute. She can pretend, as she talks to Neil, as she watches Neil, that it's actually Lyle instead; that it's Lyle who's laughing happily on the phone; that it's Lyle who's carrying the laundry basket in strong arms; that it's Lyle who smiles at her and asks if she's had a good week at school.  
  
And, funnily enough, Anew realises, as Devine and Bring grow older, Bring can act as a Lyle substitute too. It's not the same as with Neil, of course, and Anew needs to use a little more imagination for it to work, but she finds that when she looks at Bring, she doesn't have to search too hard to see Lyle in him. He's got the same jaw, the same wave to his hair, the same freckles on his nose when he's been out in the sun for too long. He's getting tall too, almost the same height as Anew now; it won't be long until he overtakes her and grows as tall as Lyle himself.  
  
For a while, whenever Anew talks to Bring, all she sees in Lyle in miniature.  
  
But as time goes on, and Anew studies Bring more closely, it's not the similarities to Lyle that she notices, but the differences. It's Bring's eyes, sharp, long-lashed and elegant; it's his hair, a startling, fiery red; it's his smile, small, sincere, and fleeting, but no less beautiful because of it.  
  
Months go by and Anew discovers, distantly, that her crush on Lyle Dylandy has cooled. It's not because Lyle has become any less attractive (he hasn't), but because Bring has caught her attention instead.  
  
So that's how it stands: somewhere along the line, without meaning to, Anew has developed a crush on her brother's little brother.  
  
And while Lyle Dylandy might be happily married and unobtainable, Bring Stabity Dylandy is anything but.  
  
Anew's content to do nothing for a few weeks. She decides to let the attraction incubate inside her, and wait to see if it dies down of its own accord or if it grows into something more. She spends more time with Bring while she does. It's easy enough now to find times when Bring and Devine aren't together, and Anew makes the most of them. If Bring suspects what she's up to, he doesn't say anything.  
  
So, it's when Anew and Bring are alone in Bring's bedroom one day, with Devine out at a friend's house, that Anew decides to make her move. Her fondness for Bring hasn't decreased any, but that's not to say that it's increased wildly either. No, it's just bubbled along quite happily, leaving Anew rather uncertain as to how she actually feels. Well, she decides, if waiting isn't working, maybe it's time for a little practical experiment instead.  
  
She turns to Bring, "Can I kiss you?"  
  
To his credit, Bring doesn't act surprised, he just seems to take it in his stride, as he does everything. Even if his cheeks are a little flushed when he says, "Ok."  
  
Anew doesn't know quite what she was expecting, as she leans forward and their lips meet awkwardly, but it's certainly interesting. All in all, she thinks, as Brings lips part, it's rather nice.  
  
Of course, this just has to be that moment when Revive decides to barge into the room. "Hey, are you going to..." he starts loudly, then halts. Anew hears an intake of breath and she turns around just in time to see Revive dashing back out the door and slamming it behind him.  
  
A few seconds later, through the door, Revive petulantly sends, _What on Earth do you think you're doing?_  
  
Anew snorts a laugh, _What do you think we were doing? I was kissing Bring._  
  
 _Yes, but..._ sends Revive, _you shouldn't be kissing my brother!_  
  
 _And why not?_ replies Anew. _You're telling me you haven't done anything worse?_  
  
The door rattles in its frame as Anew hears Revive lean against it from the other side. _I'll tell Father what you were doing,_ he threatens.  
  
Anew folds her arms. She could bluff about going to tell the adults what Revive has been up to with _his_ time, but she doesn't care enough about keeping her affection secret at this point. Besides, threatening Revive only ever encouraged him. _Go right ahead,_ she sends, _I don't care._

***  
  
So this is how, two weeks later, the news about Anew and Bring finally finds it's way to Anew's dad.  
  
Anew knows that he's found out when he accosts her as she walks into the living room one day, and says, while wearing his most serious face, "Anew, I think we need to talk."  
  
Trying not to worry that he's going to blow everything out of proportion, Anew puts on her most obliging smile and sits down beside him on the couch.  
  
"Now, Anew," he says, turning to face her, "you're probably getting to that age where you're starting to get interested in boys."  
  
Anew tries her hardest not to cringe on the inside.  
  
"Or," he says, with a conspiratorial look, "starting to get interested in _girls_." He pauses for a moment, thoughtfully. "Or girls _and_ boys," he adds. "...Or two girls and a boy. Or even just two girls. Or three girls..."  
  
Anew stops him when he starts looking wistfully out of the window. "Dad, I like _Bring_."  
  
Patrick suddenly focusses back on her with a start, seeming to remember that they're in the middle of a conversation. "Yes, well," he says with a dismissive wave of a hand, "exactly who you like isn't important right now."  
  
Anew has to force herself not to roll her eyes.  
  
"What you need to know," says Patrick, with a serious look, "is that boys of your age are only interested in one thing." He stops, and frowns briefly, before correcting himself. "Actually, two things." He stops again. "Ok, three things... Or four. Or even... Well," he says, "it really depends on what she's willing to do, because, you know, some of these girls can be really..." He stops himself before he gets too far, and gives Anew a sheepish look. "I mean... No. You shouldn't be willing to do anything you don't want to do. Do you understand?"  
  
Anew nods slowly. She's not really sure exactly what he's getting at, but she definitely doesn't want him to try to explain himself further.  
  
"Look," he says, continuing anyway, and leaning closer, "I know about young boys. All they want to do is go around chasing as many girls as they can possibly get. And I should know! I used to be quite the player in my time, let me tell you. I could hardly move for girls at one point!" He freezes, suddenly, and looks warily over his shoulder before whispering, "but don't tell your Mother."  
  
Anew goes to reply, but she doesn't have time before Patrick's off again.  
  
"What I'm trying to tell you," he says, "is that boys your age don't want all those, you know," he makes a complicated hand gesture, "things that girls want. Ok? So just... Be careful. And don't let anyone persuade you to do anything you're not happy with, right? Or they'll have to deal with me instead!"  
  
"Er... thanks," says Anew, hoping to God it's all over.  
  
Patrick beams and pats her on the shoulder? "There," he says, "I'm glad we've had this conversation; aren't you?"  
  
 _No_ , thinks Anew, but she smiles anyway.  
  
Satisfied, Patrick wanders off into the kitchen, and leaves Anew to her embarrassment. But Anew only has a few seconds to herself before her Mother walks in.  
  
"Anew," says Kati, sitting down, "what you need to understand is that men are idiots," she nods toward the kitchen door with a fond smile, "even though, most of the time, they mean well."  
  
Anew nods hesitantly.  
  
"But," continues Kati, warmly, "Bring is a very intelligent young man, so I'm sure you'll do well."  
  
Anew smiles for real this time and thinks that, yes, hopefully they will.[](http://statcounter.com/)


End file.
